Spare a thought for poor Gardener Dave. Usually, he turns up each month with a young sidekick and the two of them work steadily for four hours before leaving for the next job. Today, however, for the first time, he was on his own. And, given we pay for eight hours work, he was here from 8am until 4pm. And, being Dave, he didn’t stop moaning about “…the slack attitude of kids these days.”
And it was another ridiculously hot day. At one point, I looked at the temperature in the greenhouse. It was 39°. Dave was very happy to be outside, where at least there was a light breeze. Unfortunately, though, there wasn’t a lot of shade.
For most of the day, our garden is drenched in sun. There are shady spots (Clive’s Corner for one) but they are not generally the bits that need work. And, by the time the sun has dipped beyond the pitch of the roof, the gardeners have long gone.
Of course, Gardener Dave was better off than I was. Sat in the extension, with the doors shut in order to keep an eye on the dogs, is like sitting in a windowless room in an uninsulated fibro house in the western suburbs of Sydney. Except with a view.
When I Skyped with Mirinda, she suggested we talk in the Library, which is definitely the coolest room. Well, until the sun peeps in from about 4pm, when it warms up considerably. But, of course, by that time, we were all wandering around the back garden admiring Dave’s work.
Overall, there was not a lot of exertion going on inside the house. I did a few loads of washing but, apart from laundry, I took it easy. Dave, on the other hand, did a good deal of work. And drank a lot of water.
No sooner had Dave left us than I opened the big sliding doors as far as they’d go, opened a beer and sat in the shade with the girls. The breeze was most welcome. As was our terrace.
Apparently, the temperature is supposed to drop tomorrow. That’s definitely something to look forward to.
39 in the greenhouse! I hope you’ve moved all the plants out!